Being a Respectable Evangelical Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry for the Trump-Supporting Bigotry and Ignorance That’s at the Heart of Your “Faith”

Who voted for Trump? “It’s not us!” Who stuck with Roy Moore? “It’s not us!” Who supports white bigot supremacists?’ “It’s not us!” so-say the so-called respectable evangelical leaders as they take to the editorial pages to try and salvage their image.

Reminds me of the Germans I met after the war: No one’s own dad was in the SS! No real Germans were camp guards!

The defenders of “respectable” evangelicalism were out in force in 2017. In newspapers, magazines, and National Public Radio programs, they delivered a consistent message. That group of Trump-loving, Roy-Moore-supporting evangelicals? “It’s not us.”

As a historian of evangelicalism, I find it troubling that a group of media-savvy evangelicals is poised to dictate the terms of our national conversation. Insiders, not scholars, now determine who “counts” as an evangelical. But their proffered definition reflects a religious agenda rather than a careful analysis.
Respectable evangelicals have been defining away their embarrassing spiritual kin for a century, at least.
When working-class evangelicals began speaking in tongues in the 1900s, respectable evangelicals declared the movement a delusion of Satan. It’s not us, they insisted.

When the Scopes Monkey Trial made William Jennings Bryan a laughingstock, respectable evangelicals disclaimed leadership in the fundamentalist movement they helped create. It’s not us.
In the 1940s and 50s, respectable evangelicals perfected the “not us” technique. Abandoning the fundamentalist label (though holding nearly identical beliefs), they created a “neo-evangelical” identity to distance themselves from the red-baiters and conspiratorialists. Ever since, the toxic byproducts of their movement have been shunted outside the evangelical camp. Whether tele-evangelist scandals, or hurricanes-are-God’s-judgment-jeremiads, or homophobic protests at military funerals: it’s not us.

Now evangelical leaders are trying to distance themselves from the Trump mob. Nice Try. Saying “We didn’t all vote for Trump” is just more of respectable evangelicals defining away their embarrassing spiritual kin as they always have tried to do. But it’s a lie. As I show in my book, Letter to Lucy – A Manifesto of Creative Redemption—In the Age of Trump, Fascism and Lies, there are no respectable evangelicals- if by the word respectable you mean intellectually honest, and open to real questions that might make you “lose” your faith. And bigotry has always been part of their package.

Gotta love the hypocrisy coming from the evangelical community … claiming ‘ Its not us ‘ when in fact 82% of all evangelicals voted for Trump with the majority of them still in support of his racism , neo-fascism and totalitarianism .

But to be fair … there are many within the evangelical community currently not in support of Trump .. although they did vote for him ( out of blatant stupidity mind you .. but hey … thats human nature ) who are now apologizing for their decision in 2016 … and are coming out more and more against the entire Trump machine as well as what has become the Alt Right GOP .Writing articles ( in every major publication across the nation from secular to religious ) doing interviews etc … apologizing for their stupidity and trying to make amends

So seriously Frank ole bean … lets not go down the route of over generalization .. and move on to criticizing only those who truly deserve it …. while giving credit where credit is due to those in contrition attempting to right the wrong they helped to create …

… cause ahhh … Frank … we’s all just Bozo’s on this bus … effing up left and right as is our nature … therefore its all about how one deals with one’s mistakes afterwards …

But in conclusion.. for the vast majority of evangelicals ( take notice ALL the fundamentalist communities are still firmly within the Trump Alt Right camp ) taking the ” Its Not Us ” tactic along with those still on board the Trump train ?

May the worst of our condemnations and the harshest of God’s judgment fall upon them all . And may they be consumed by their own hypocrisy .

“Embarrassing spiritual kin” Let’s get honest. There’s nothing spiritual about a religion which fails to acknowledge the power of the Goddess. You remember her right? She’s in New York with her tired blood soaked arm up in the air pissed off as all get out about this blasphemous mess. Her name is Ishtar. She’s going to be starring in her own feature film very soon called Mrs. Ish Goes to Washington. I hope nobody sees it!
Tara per Ishtar

What the … ? Which is to say . We were on the same page … my initially assuming you were referring to Libertas … aka The Statue of Liberty who is seriously PO’d and who’s arm is in fact bloodied due to Herr Drumpf and his Alt Right christofascist minions … but then you went and brought up the whole Ishtar thing .

Not to be pedantic but … use the correct name when attempting to make a point . Libertas is the Roman goddess that the Statue of Liberty was modeled on . And had you used the correct name … your original comment would of had a hell of a lot more credibility … seeing as how your basic overall analogy was absolutely brilliant .

FYI ; According to all myths and legends … there is no THE goddess … just a whole lot of goddesses … some higher ranking … some minor …. all of which were subservient to their gods ** … None of which according to classic legend and myth … are your sis-ish *.

* If you’d take the time to read the original legends and myths you’d know that as a human female in the ancient world you would be well below even the least of the gods and goddesses of the ancient world. And as a woman in the ancient world you’d even be below the human males ** .

** None of which implies any sense of misogyny … Just hard core historical fact … pure and simple

Which is to say Tara … READ twice ( or three or four times ) then comment once .

While it is true that Laboulaye and Bartholdi referred to their creation as “Libertas” … It is also true that Libertas was an early adoption by Romans of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. So you are technically both right.

Personally… I get a huge kick in knowing that our beloved Statue of Liberty is the formerly known “Mother of Harlots” the implications of which are far-reaching, much to the horror of these “Fundie Christies.”

We know of Libertas being referred to as the Mother of Harlots by the famous Roman historian (and senator) Cicero’s writings. Cicero indicates that she was also a very early goddess of the Greeks even before early Roman civilization developed.

Upon further investigation, we find that the Greeks had acquired knowledge of this being from previous empires in the Middle East and Egypt. This goddess was called Ashtoreth in Hebrew and in the Old Testament’s Greek version (the Septuagint).

Ashtoreth becomes transliterated into the Greek as Astarte, which became the early Greek name for the goddess until it was later changed to Aphrodite. The Hebrew term Ashtoreth was itself a transliteration from the Babylonian dialect (Akkadian) term of Ishtar.

Ishtar in the most ancient of times was also referred to by the Sumerian dialect as Inanna or Ninanna meaning the Queen of Heaven or Lady of Heaven. In Canaan, this deity was called Ashtaroth. The Hittites called her Shaushka. The Phoenicians on Cypress initially referred to her as Astarte.

Isis was the name the Egyptians gave to her. This is how the goddess became introduced to the earliest Greeks.

We know this transformation in part due to the written texts found by archaeologists plus from studying the character traits and descriptions. For instance, all these deities were actually just one goddess and she was associated with the planet Venus.

Most had phonetic language roots in the transliterating aspects of the name Ishtar and this remained so until the Greeks changed the name to Aphrodite. Later the Romans referred to her in the Latin, initially as Libertas and later as Venus when they accepted more than just the Liberty doctrines.

ISHTAR: Goddess of Liberty and Personal Freedom

Ishtar was introduced to the Greeks as Astarte through the Phoenicians. We can see that the lineage of the Greek and Roman goddess of the planet Venus goes all the way back to ancient Babylon of around 3,000 BC.

Apparently, the Greeks (and later the Romans) chose to initially honor only one portion of Ishtar’s character and doctrines that appealed to them in those very early years before they established empires. Ishtar’s doctrine of personal freedom was what really impressed both the Greeks and the Romans. They, therefore, chose to worship just that aspect of her character.

As time passed, the succeeding generations of Greeks found the other Ishtar doctrines to be appealing and incorporated her into their pantheon of deities as Astarte or Aphrodite. Later still, the Romans did the same and referred to her as Venus.

It seems that the allure of Ishtar was her doctrine of holy sex or salvation by holy sexual relations with a temple priestess or priest as a means of purification and holiness. (Something many a Fundamentalist Pastor has taken way too literally.)

This is why she was referred to as the Mother of Harlots. Harlots had been deemed to be social outcasts so she was also referred to as the Mother of Exiles.

This was later equated with the idea of immigration. Naturally then Ishtar (a.k.a.– Libertas) was known as the Mother of Harlots, the Mother of Exiles and the Mother of immigrants throughout not only Babylon and Babylonia but also later Assyria, Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Ishtar was a multi-faceted deity. She was first and foremost endeared to the hearts and minds of Babylonians because of her primary dedication to Freedom and Liberty. She was also considered the Mother of Prostitution or Harlotry…and it was considered “holy.”

Why? Ishtar introduced the concept of removal of sins by the practice of the sinner engaging in a “holy” rite of sexual relations with a priestess or priest.

This action would involve the payment of money to the priestess or priest as part of the cleansing process. It was an offering of thanksgiving for the purification. This is the very first instance of Prostitution in human history.

Ishtar was also known as the goddess of war because she fights for freedom and liberty. She was also known as the goddess of victory because there is no freedom without a victory. She was also known as the goddess of love because of her sexuality and her promotion of all types of sexual inclinations in the name of freedom. Her motto was “if it feels good, do it.”

In the book “Divine Encounters” the author describes a significant role that Ishtar held for the Sumerians. On pages 174 through 176, he describes the annual ritual in which the King of Sumer must come to the special chamber temple of Ishtar to engage in sexual relations with her for one night of passion.

If during the night she is displeased with the King in any way she kills him and a new candidate is selected to undergo another ritual initiation of one-night passion. He must perform satisfactorily. This process was to continue until Ishtar accepted a candidate who met with her satisfaction.

If the king or candidate found acceptance he would appear the following morning to the expectant crowds outside the temple palace to show that he had gained the favor of the goddess to rule for one more year. Such acceptance also meant that the nation would have a good year of agricultural harvests.

Little wonder that Revelation 17:1-2, 4-5; 18: 3, 9; 19:2; Isaiah 47:1-15; and Jeremiah 51:7 condemn her so viciously. After all… The bible was written by misogynistic men who feared the power of women.

In any event, it sure would be nice for these Fundies to know about the origins of the Statute of Liberty, this way, they can stay the F*CK away from NYC…

Thank you Margarita. That comment was way awesome. I always liked Ishtar (although at one point I feared her) and after reading your wonderful contribution to this important thread I love her even more.
❤️ Tara (wannabe Ishtar)

Sorry Ms Abadie but after extensive research I can only come up with one abjectly ultra feminist at best questionable resource … [ due to the fact that its overall agenda and bias is so overtly extreme feminism that its ability to maintain a sense of neutrality is in serious doubt not to mention the historical references they attempt to use are on the best of days tenuous ] …. that defends your argument/apologetic above in the slightest . And that includes several other more moderate feminist websites including a few dedicated to the furthering and worship of Libertas as a goddess

As an example Ishtar in Mesopotamian culture and religion was first and foremost the goddess of love and war … not freedom as you claim .

As another there is no definite record proving a link between Ishtar and the Roman goddess Libertas

As for why the Statue of Liberty was often referred to as the harlot … that is because Libertas aka The Statue of Liberty was considered to be the symbol of absolute freedom with no constraints … not in any way related to the goddess Ishtar

Also ;

” After all… The bible was written by misogynistic men who feared the power of women ”

That Ms Abadie is an utter , outright , blatant and abject fallacy . Suffice it to say thru out the Bible many women are portrayed as heroines … defenders of the Faith … teachers etc .

In conclusion .. despite your rather pleonastic attempt to defend Tara’s use of the name Ishtar … the simple fact remains … her analogy would of been brilliant had she used the correct moniker of Libertas … rather than merely disjunct and mundane .

Which sadly brings me to the realization that you are one who has allowed your personal prejudices , bias and agenda to overwhelm your intellect , discernment and common sense .. not to mention your having barely read * the Bible you’re aiming your poison darts at ..

* ( My guess being .. you’ve spent a lot of time reading ABOUT the Bible rather than taking time to read the Bible itself )

As well as leading me to the conclusion that much like GB as well as our resident pseudo intellectual liberation theologian .. you are not at all interested in the search for truth ( or Truth ) .. but rather solely concerned with the defense and propagation of your own personal misguided agendas , prejudices and biases which you chose to perceive as the truth ,

Simple fact Ms Abadie . A genuine search for the truth hurts . And one truly in search of the truth is willing to accept those hurts . None of which seemingly applies to you .

Suffice it to say Ms Abadie .. I am seriously disappointed.. and saddened as well .. as I had previously thought better of you . And suffice it to say were you ever to have presented such a fallacious and erroneous argument /apologetic as you have done above in any of class of mine … a resounding and unequivocal ‘ F’ would of been the final and only reasonable result

TJ…. If you recall, I did mention that I am an agnostic. So I’m not sure where you got that by pointing out that the Roman goddess Libertas, known in English as Liberty, was the one and same as the Babylonian Ishtar, I am by default a Goddess worshipper.

That I enjoy mythology and think that as far as Goddesses go… both Ishtar and Libertas are really cool and get a fit of the giggles about a statute of Ishtar/Libertas being the iconic image of American values. As in: OH! The beauty of irony… Shouldn’t mean anything more to you than that which I intend it to be within the humorous nature of my mind. If you chose to read more than that which I have said, and infer all kind of things about me, then go right ahead. It’s no sweat off my back, being that I am confident in my own intellect and also virtually immune to insults and innuendoes.

The way I see things… Whether one believes the Statute of Liberty is Ishtar, Libertas and/or whatever else one may want to call her… She is undeniably a woman who is still standing bold and beautiful in the harbor of one of the greatest cities in the entire world!

And even if the numerous reference that Ishtar and Libertas being one and the same are wrong… How does THAT suddenly make both Tara and me the reason why we as a nation have no hope … nor future either. Whatever happened to live and let live?

And no! I can’t say that I read the bible, any more than I would ever I even want to attend a bible class be it yours or anyone else’s. Sorry, but this whole Adam & Eve story (for example) is nothing more than a myth perpetuated by those who refuse to accept that we humans evolved from apes, as irrefutably seen in our DNA, of which BTW we share more than 98% with chimpanzees. As such, and as it would relate to finding the “truth” I much prefer to read up on science, which I find to be way more relevant.

And if that disappoints you. So be it. I’m not here to win your approval by agreeing with everything you say.

Yes, Doc. I’ve been following along with these guys here:http://jackheart2014.blogspot.com/
And here:https://www.patreon.com/jackheartwriter
They are in the Know about the Goddess. I actually believe in the Bible wherein it talks of the woman being the helpmeet in whatever capacity that should manifest. I’m trying to do my part. I’m not as well read as a lot of those I come into contact with. I could add my brother’s interpretation (he’s a good ole boy NASCAR fan who says we finally have a representation of what the average (ugly) American is in Trump) that all women are sisters and they all have an agenda 😉
I’d love to see Frank Schaeffer interacting with my friends at Jack Heart and Friends. I’m so glad you’re interacting with me. It’s all good as my brother would say.
Tara Liberte Freya Mary Ishtar Diana etc ad infinitum …

Also here:https://www.veteranstoday.com/author/jackheart/
Be forewarned about Heart. The waters are very deep. Margarita I would love it if you would join the conversations over there at Heart. These men and women are all into setting us goddesses free from the constraints of this the profane reality hologram we are living in.

Thank you for the above post rational , post truth , post reality verging on conspiracy theory ( veteranstoday ) links you’ve provided for making it quite clear than any engagement and/or conversation with one such as yourself is an abject exercise in futility and no longer worth my time and effort .

Mea culpa for trying to bring a modicum of reality to an otherwise post-reality conversation .

In conclusion .. suffice it to say … if the likes of you are the hope of the future … than we as a nation have no hope … nor future either

” It’s the farthest place I’ve ever been
It’s a new frontier for me
And you balance things
Like you wouldn’t believe
When you should just let things be
Yes, you juggle things
‘Cause you can’t lose sight
Of the wretched story-line
It’s the narrative that must go on
Until the end of time
And you’re guilty of some self neglect
And the mind unravels for days
I’ve told you once
Yes, a thousand times
I’m better off this way
I’m better off this way
Where’s my queen of hearts
My royal flush
I have cleaned and scrubbed her decks
My suicide, my better days
There’s nothing I regret
I’ve placed the Gods
In a zip-lock bag
I’ve put them in a drawer
They’ve refused my prayers
For the umpteenth time
So I’m evening up the score
Small metal Gods
From a casting line
From a factory in Mumbai
Some manual labourer’s bread and butter
And a single-minded lie
Small metal Gods
Cheap souvenirs
You’ve abandoned me for sure
I’m dumping you, my childish things
I’m evening up the score ”

Oh… What I would give if you could just come to NYC for the Women’s March… We would have the time of our lives!!! I would put you up in my home, and if need be, take care of your disabilities even if that meant having to push you around in a wheelchair….

For reals M! I’d love nothing more. I’m ambulatory but aren’t you sweet to offer such generosity of spirit. I like making friends online. Nine’s got my back. He’s the one who invited me here.
I have a blog. terragiest blogspot
I can tell that you are a very special woman. It takes a fearsome lady to hang with some of these online personalities. It’s a pleasure to meet you.

For me the problem is not the “it’s not us” posture; rather, it’s the evangelicals who proudly admit they did vote for Trump and consider him to be ordained by God “for such a time as this.” That’s what’s crazy-making for me. People I liked and respected support this train wreck, which calls into question everything I’ve believed and some pivotal choices I’ve made in my life. It’s nauseating.

Yeah, I will. I mean I voted for that jacker H. Clinton. I walked the streets campaigning for Obama in ‘08 but after what I’ve seen it just feels like our votes don’t really count. It seems like the government is not being decided by our votes but something else, someone or a lot of someone elses. Who owns Debold (ha the machine tried to autocorrect that word to “Devils”)? Who owns this country? It’s England still and the Vatican correct? America is still a charter, right? The Israelis being the Vatican’s leg breakers. It just seems kind of pointless. An excersize in futility. Do you think our system still works if it ever did?
Tell me Nine. Tell me to vote and I will if you (I mean you just you) don’t tell me to vote I’m not going to. It feels good to vote but after that thing with the baby burning Bush down in Florida it makes me feel like a mark. Like I said it feels good to vote and I enjoyed my efforts for Obama. Still, cocaine feels good as well but I don’t necessarily recommend it.
“If your vote counted they wouldn’t let you do it” Mark Twain
You should take my query about voting as a compliment. There’s only one other man on this planet I would listen to but I’m not planning on bugging him out with such a question.
Yours,
Terrible T

Also, I am aware that all politics is local and that these presidential elections may not be as important as the state reps etc. Someone told me that Dems tend to come out for the president more than they do for those. These people who “elected” (it was a selection not an election) don’t realize that they are impoverished. I used to like Bill Maher and Rachael Maddow although I don’t watch them any longer and haven’t in years.
Tara

PS They got rid of all the ones who where actually journalists a long time ago. Is this the Trump card? What is a Trump card? I’m serious I don’t know that much about gambling. It seems so obvious to me. I mean we’ve got the Burning Bushes and now we have Trumpets. You can’t make this stuff up. I’m tempted to start writing fan letters to Gordon Duff.

Talk about Babylon is fallen… then perhaps it was a political movement all along. Abortion or any other sin they might define have been more to justify themselves than to eliminate suffering (indeed, for gays in “conversion therapy” or even in the church struggling with their feelings, they are only inflicting suffering). All this time, a political minority movement isolated or shocked by the actual society they lived in and in reaction, in order to gain a sense of stability they seek domination. That is dominion. But not, it seems,
Shocked by the endless war, poverty,ignorance, devastation to Lord’s earth that pacificism or environmentalism enter the picture.